I Want To Be The Smartest Ever!
by Cookirini
Summary: In the R season, Usagi decides that Mamoru broke up because of her lack of intelligence, and enrolls into a cram school to remedy that. Unfortunately, the Black Moon is there too, and the results are not all as desired.....Complete.
1. Across the Street

__

"Ami-chan! Don't go!"   
  
"Why shouldn't she pursue her dreams?"   
  
"Because....because she's the smart one of the group! Without her-"   
  
"-You wouldn't be able to think at all. Come on, Usagi-chan! Don't be so wasteful!"   
  
"Learn to think for yourself!"   
  
"Stop slouching off and be more attentive!"   
  
"If you paid more attention and applied your brain better, you wouldn't have these problems!"   
  
"Why does Ami-chan hang out with an idiot like you?"   
  


  
"Idiot like me, huh...?"   
  
Usagi walked down the street, her shoulders slumped and her face set with an annoyed glare. Her arms swung from front to back, her left hand carrying her schoolbag.   
  
"Hmph." Usagi started walking across the street. "Well, it takes an idiot to know an idiot, right? Well, at least that's the reasoning. But ever since Ami-chan nearly left Japan to study abroad...I've been thinking. A lot. And it occurs to me...it occurs to me that perhaps everyone was right."   
  
She paused in the middle of the street. She looked up attentively to the sky, tapping her finger to her chin. So absorbed in her thinking she was that she noticed nothing around her, least of all any cars that may have been driving at her.   
  
"They made fun of me at school today - said I wasn't of the same caliber to be with Ami-chan because my brains were the size of an ink blot." Usagi stared up towards the clouds. "Well, it certainly gives me some _thought_. I mean, just a few weeks ago....Mamo-chan broke up with me....."   
"USAGI!"   
  
Usagi barely had time to turn around when she was suddenly hit in the back. The force sent her flying to the curb, and she gave a startled yelp as a large weight pressed on her. She shut her eyes, trying to alleviate the pain that shot through her back from the impact.   
  
"HEY!" She opened her eyes and saw a red car fly by, its driver shaking his fist. "Idiot! Watch the road!"   
"Urrgh..." Usagi glared at the speeding car as it drove off. "_Me_ an idiot! Look in your rearview mirror to see who the real idiot is!!"   
"Usagi-chan...."   
  
The muffled voice brought Usagi's attention back to her lap. In it was a blue-haired girl, her dress slightly dirtied, smiling tightly at Usagi.   
  
"O-oooh!!" Usagi began to laugh. "Oooh, Ami-chan!" 


	2. Part A

****

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon

Ep. 62.5

I Want To Be The Smartest Ever! Birth of Genius Usagi?

Pt. 1

"Usagi-chan." Ami's voice was flat, if not peppered with a hint of sternness. "You should watch where you're going."   
"Wh-me?!"   
  
The two girls slowly got up. As they did, Ami brushed Usagi's uniform off and handed her her schoolbag. Usagi accepted it graciously.   
  
"Oh, thank you!" Usagi beamed. "I'm sorry. It wasn't imy/i fault, but regardless I'll pay more attention in the future."   
"It was nothing, Usagi-chan." Ami looked Usagi up and down. "So, I guess you're going to the arcade?"   
"Yeah!" Usagi shrugged. "Well, first I'm going home to get my money."   
"Aaah, Usagi-chan." Ami gave a huff. "Perhaps your money would be spent better doing other things."   
"Ami-chan?"   
"I don't want....well, I don't mean to....sound like a nag." The two began to walk. "But Luna talked to me this morning..."   
"Oh, brother," Usagi moaned. "I think I know what this is about."   
"She confided in me that you were worried about me leaving....that I was the....'brains' of the soldiers." Ami paused. "She then told me that she was worried about you."   
"Luna's always worried. Worried to the point where she nags!"   
"But Usagi-chan," Ami gently protested. "Luna thinks you're not applying yourself the way you should in school. In fact, she wanted me to break it to you..."   
"Break....break what?"   
  
Usagi stopped. She looked at Ami, her eyes wide.   
  
"A-ami-chan..."   
"She told me..." Ami gave a sigh. "That she is considering to put you on probation from being a sailor soldier until you raised your grades."   
"**WHAT??!?!?!?**"   
  
Usagi hit the wall as she jumped back in shock. Her schoolbag dropped again as she breathed heavily, almost to the point where she was hyperventilating. She stared at Ami, her look both accusing and shocked.   
  
"Why....why would Luna say such things?!"   
"Honestly, I'm not sure." Ami looked at Usagi with a sad smile. "The truth may be that she just worries about you. She's not just there to train you as a sailor, you know."   
"B-b-b-but...!" Usagi looked around nerviously. "What about the new threat? Sh-she wouldn't do that to me when there's a new...! DOOOOH!"   
"I thought you didn't like being a sailor?" Ami smiled.   
"That's not it!" Usagi pouted. "I like being a sailor, I've accepted it. It's just that....well....."   
"Well, what?"   
"Well-"   
"Oh."   
  
The new voice made the two girls turn around. Seeing the figure behind them, Usagi's cheeks flushed, and her hands trembled.   
  
"Ooooh, Mamo-chan!" Usagi covered her mouth. "G-good afternoon...."   
"Hello."   
  
The reply was surprisingly blunt, even coming from Mamoru. Upon thinking, however, Usagi realized that this was, in fact, now a normal thing; Mamoru was trying to avoid her, and she still did not understand why he had dissolved their relationship.   
  
"I've....got to go." Mamoru went to leave. "I-"   
"Oh, Mamoru-san!" Ami quickly tapped his shoulder. "I'm sorry to bother you right now, but I need to give you something."   
"Hmm?"   
  
To Usagi's surprise, Mamoru stopped and turned towards Ami. In Ami's hand was a thick gray book.   
  
"Oh....thank you, Ami." Mamoru smiled. "Actually, that was the book I needed for class today. I was worried I'd be unprepared."   
"Oh, I finished reading it and wrote the terms down." Ami smiled. "They'll be useful in my night classes. I won't need this book anymore, if not for a long time."   
"That's good to know, Ami."   
  
Slowly, the conversation wore on, and slowly the effects on Usagi became more marked. Her eyes widened, and her frown became more pronounced, more saddened, at the sight of what was being talked about.   
  
"Though," Ami continued. "I _was_ confused about that pharmacist student's thesis paper in the appendix..."   
  
_Thrombosis.....Appendix.....Pharmacist...all those hard words....._ Usagi saw Mamoru, and almost cried out when he saw the look on his face. _Mamo-chan, what...._  
  
"The one about the effects of ultrasound on thrombosis?" Mamoru was beaming in a way that, even in her days as his intimate, Usagi had never seen. "Oh, don't worry. I'm surprised you understood that at all. You have a good grasp on things."   
"Oh, Mamoru-san." Ami blushed. "I just study a lot, that's all."   
"No, no, that's a good thing." Mamoru nodded. "Your chosen profession will be demanding. Being a pediatrician requires a lot of patience, which you have from how much you study every day."   
"Oh, Mamoru-san, you horrid flatterer!" Turning red with embarrassment, Ami turned back to Usagi. "Well, you should go to class right now. Usagi...chan?"   
  
She looked over to find the wall, and Usagi's schoolbag on the ground. The girl herself, however, could not be found.   
  
------------------------   
  
_Mamo-chan.....Mamo-chan......_  
  
Usagi ran down the street, her school heels pounding hard on the pavement. She was arely able to contain her tears as she flew past trees, walls, houses and people.   
  
_So that's it._ Usagi could feel the hot sting of salt water on her cheeks. _That's the truth.....   
  
  
"I'm breaking up with you."   
"Why?"   
"Just.....go."   
  
  
But I know, you know!_ Usagi gasped for breath. _I know the real reason! I saw that...that smile...._  
  
She stopped because she had to; she was out of breath and gasping for air. Nevertheless, as soon as she stopped her tears came full-fledged. She crumbled on the sidewalk and hugged her head into her knees.   
  
_You....._ Usagi's mind whirled. _You never....told me._   
  
She slowly wiped the tears from her eyes to no avail. She kept weeping even as, slowly, the sun began to dip behind the Tokyo skyline. The wind began to blow, and goosebumps began to appear on her exposed skin.   
  
_I know why you broke up_. Usagi shivered. _I'm not good enough for you....is that it? All those terms and books. I was so blind. You're impressed by intelligence. Ami-chan's intelligent. I'm not. That's why....   
_  
  
_"Luna....is considering to put you on probation from being a sailor soldier until you raised your grades."   
  
  
....Well, let her!_  
  
Slowly Usagi stood up. Her head went down as the wind blew, and again she shivered.   
  
_No...._ Usagi's head went up, and through the tears a look of determination came into her eyes. _No, I'll show them! I'll show Luna, and Mamo-chan, and Chibi-Usa and Ami-chan and Rei-chan and Mom and Dad and Shingo and Haruna-san and all of them! I'm going to show them just how smart this Tsukino can be!...And I know just how to do it!_   
  
With a huff of determination, Usagi began to walk forward, only to suddenly trip on her own two feet. With an screech, she unceremoniously landed face first on the sidewalk.   
  
".....Ow...........iiie..............."   
  
  
--------------------------   
  
  
The silence that permeated throughout the room was almost deafening to Calaveras as she looked around the mirrors. In each of them were images, images of defeat. Before, the group had been riding high on success; now, they had already lost several Crystal Points, and Calaveras knew full well the possible consequences.   
  
"Hmph." She took up a vial and began to wipe the contents on her face. "Its bad enough we've lost several Crystal Points. Now I find that they don't sell the cream my skin type can tolerate in the past."   
"Well," a voice behind her chirped. "That's what happens."   
"Easy for you, younger sister."   
  
Calaveras gave a mumble as she turned to face Beruche. Beruche, younger and with blue hair and a blue suit on, was reading a book. A small smile was on her face.   
  
"Your skin is like a baby's." Calaveras turned around spitefully. "Because, in a sense, you are a baby, you know."   
"I'll ignore that comment, elder sister." Beruche turned to Calaveras. "I'm just a bit too busy to care."   
"Is that so?" Calaveras turned again to face the girl. "What are you doing?"   
"Oh…..nothing." Beruche ran her hand through her hair. "Just reading some information about the next Crystal Point."   
"Oh, I s-WHAT?"   
  
Beruche's smile became a slightly malicious smirk as she heard her elder sister stomp over to her. She almost had to laugh as Calaveras' desperate face came down to her level.   
  
"What-how?!" Calaveras stammered. "_How_ did Rubeus find another Crystal Point so quickly?!"   
"You were too busy shopping for face lotion, dear sister. " The page turned in the book as Beruche looked back down onto it. "Rubeus decided to go on with the announcement without you."   
"Oh, that Rubeus….!"   
"You know, dear sister." Beruche closed the book. "Rubeus hasn't been too happy with your performance lately. Not once have you ventured out to capture a Crystal Point, and its apparent that he may shut you out of the chain of command if you don't get your act together."   
"I…!" Calaveras blushed. "He said that?"   
"Well, not exactly." Beruche giggled. "His exact words were 'That bitch. Where is she? Never here, never bothers to life a finger to help our cause.' Then Petz said 'Well, that's what you get for trusting _Calaveras_ of all people'. Then Rubeus said, 'Well, if that's the way she wants to play it, she can forget about any possible reward she might have gotten for getting this Crystal Point. Its easy even for a fickle girl.' And," Beruche turned away at this. "It _is_ a _very_ easy Crystal Point to get. There was quite a bit of arguing over it, but finally _I_ managed to get the mission."   
"I…"   
  
Calaveras took a step back. Her face was as red as an apple from embarrassment. She turned away for a moment, her eyes darting back and forth from one side to another. She did not like the past and wished to be done with it; on the other hand, returning alone, especially not having done anything, meant disgrace, and she knew it fully.   
  
"….Beruche…"   
"I'm starting tonight." Beruche stood up. "I think it would be best, since no one will be there-

"Wait." Calaveras turned back, her eyes wide with frenzy. "Beruche, let me go on this with you!"   
"Oh, but I don't know…." Beruche looked up in mocked thought. "Rubeues assigned it to me….Hmm, and I've already began planning my strategy…."   
"Oh, come on!" The girl finally snapped. "Don't be such a pill."   
"Well, I don't see how you'd help me."   
"I'll….I'll supply the droid!" Calaveras thought frantically. "Or if you have a droid, I'll power it up with some of my energy!"   
"Hmm….." Beruche smirked. "Well, since you put it that way…"   
  
It was at this point that Calaveras realized what Beruche was doing. As Beruche was technically the weakest of the four sisters, she was using her newfound mission to try to milk out the other girls' power for her droid! However, Calaveras had no choice.   
  
"Here's the deal." Beruche turned towards one of the mirrors. "You help me capture this Crystal Point by creating a superdroid….."   
"That would take too much energy!"   
"…..And I'll let you have a crack at the Masseau Lotion I got from Petz." Beruche touched her face. "Its very good on all skin types, even yours, dear sister."   
  
Instantly, Calaveras was by Beruche's side. Her arms were crossed, and her head was up almost haughtily.   
  
"Very well." The two entered the mirror. "We will get it together."   
  
--------------   
  
"Hmm."   
  
The door to Ami's door opened slowly as she entered her bedroom. She placed her bag, as well as Usagi's bag, on her bed and began to quickly undress.   
  
_…Usagi_. Ami wiped the hair from her face. _Oh dear. I hope I didn't offend her somehow by talking to Mamoru-san!   
_  
She threw her uniform shirt onto the bed, followed by her dress, leaving Ami in her bra and underwear. With a sigh, Ami went over to her closet to get some other clothing on.   
  
  
***RIIIIIIIIIIING! RIIIIIIIIIIIIING!!***   
  
"Hmmm?"   
  
Ami's arms slid through the shirt holes as she went to pick up her phone. She nearly hit her knee on her side table doing it, but managed to keep her balance.   
  
"Hello?"   
"**Ami-chan**?" Luna's voice came on the phone. "**Is that you**?"   
"Luna!" Ami sat down on the bed. "Is everything ok?"   
"**I think so, but….**" There was a pause. "**Ami-chan, did you tell Usagi-chan my message**?"   
"Yes, Luna." Ami adjusted herself. "Yes, I told her."   
"**Well, I…**." Another pause. "**Well, she came home a few minutes ago.**"   
"She did?" Ami sat up. "What happened?"   
"**Well….she seemed angry, at least from my point of view**." Luna gave a sigh. "**She went into her room, took out her money from her bank and then left the house. Not a word**!"   
"Oh, I…" Ami looked down. "I hope she wasn't too upset about the message. But I think she was. I'll call Makoto and see if she's at Crown. Maybe she can talk to her?"   
"**It sounds good. But, Ami…**"   
"Hmm?"   
"**I'm surprised to catch you home**." Luna's voice was concerned. "**You're not at night school**?"   
"Not tonight." Ami weakly smiled. "I don't feel like it tonight."   
"**Well, I'll let you go then.**" If Luna had been there, she would have seen Ami's worried look. "**Good night.**"   
"Good night……"   
  
Slowly, Ami hung the phone up. She took several deep breaths to compose herself, and finally, gave a sigh.   
  
_Usagi…._ She glanced at the schoolbag. _Usagi, did I offend you…?_   
  
----------------------   
  
"Ok!"   
  
Usagi looked nervously up at the large brick building as she crossed the street. The light of the sun barely peeked from above the horizon, and the stars were already out in their splendid form as 7:00 approached. Despite this, the "**LEARNING CENTER**" was in bright neon lights.  
  
"Ok…." Usagi shivered. "Don't be nervous……this is natural to be scared! I mean, _you've_ never been to one of these, right? These….these stand against everything you're for! Laziness! Crybaby! Manga and candy!"   
  
  
_I'm breaking up with you, Usagi._   
  
  
"But…." Usagi clenched her fist. "But I have to prove myself! I have to show everyone I'm not dumb! I can do this! I _can_! I have too...." 

__

"I'm sorry." The girls at First Star Cram giggled. "We can't accept you, Tsukino-san. We can't risk the reputation."

"Tsukino-san?" The man at Good Schooling looked nervous. "Um....we'll put you on a waiting list.....yeah."

"We have liabilities here at Gifted Talent School." The eyes all glared at the name Tsukino. "Judging by your records, we couldn't possibly accept you. You'll need more drastic measures if you want to enter this school!"

  
"Ok!" Usagi put her sleeves up. "This is my last chance! I have to do this or I'll be lost!"

  
With a couple of stomps, Usagi walked into the building, and in walking into the building she cracked her nose on the brick siding. She staggered back with a grunt, then gave a growl as she readjusted her projectory and went through the door.

"Uuugh..." Usagi rubbed her nose as she looked around. "That hurt..."

Her annoyance subsided at the simplistic elegance of the school lobby. It was nothing like the inside of any school that she had ever set feet in before. It was obviously new; leather seats in the lobby, colored wallpaper and hard oak desks, as well as a large "**LEARNING CENTER**" sign behind the receptionist.

"Yup, this is a new place, all right...." Usagi looked at the receptionist nervously. "Well, I'm here....I'd better go over to talk to her...."

Usagi's approach to the desk caused a head to go up. The head, which belonged to a young woman with brown hair, turned and gave Usagi a smile.

"Welcome to Juubaan Learning Center." She gave a brilliant grin. "Two months old and still going strong. How may I help you?"

"Um....." Usagi looked over at her. "Y-yes! I want to apply here to take classes!"

"Hmm, I see..." The girl smiled at the school uniform. "So I assume you're here to get better grades?"  
"Yes! Absolutely!" Usagi went into her pocket. "And I'll pay you everything I have in my pocket and more to get smarter! No one else will accept me, so I'll get on my hands and knees if I have to!"

With that, she threw several yen notes and coins on the table for the woman to inspect. After looking at it for a moment, the receptionist could not help but chuckle.

"Oh, dear." To Usagi's surprise, she pushed the money away. "With that kind of enthusiasm....Just give me your name, dear, and I'll have the board give you classes for free."

"What? _Really_?!" Usagi jumped up. "You'd really..."

"Of course!" The receptionist's cool brown eyes looked into Usagi. Her voice was like honey to the girl. "We don't want any obstacles to get in the way of success. What's your name?"

"Tsukino Usagi!"

"Well, Tsukino-san." After scribbling her name down, the receptionist handed Usagi several sheets of letterhead paper, a pencil and a card. "We have a spot in room 6-66. Go right there, class starts in five minutes."

"WOW!" Usagi charged off. "THANK YOU!!!"

With that, the blonde girl left, neglecting her money. Within the instant, she was gone down the hallway. As the dust clouds settled, the brown-haired girl smiled and slowly pocketed the money for herself.

"No...."

The Black Moon sign appeared on her head. Behind her, Beruche smiled and gave a snicker.

"No, Tsukino Usagi." Calaveras' smile became malicious. "Thank _you_."

----------------------

Finally, the sun set. In a blaze of colors, the bright golden orb left its place in the sky, allowing for _la reina Luna_ to take her place in the dark sky.

"All right, class...."

Tonight, however, there was no moon. It was the beginning of the new moon cycle, and so all that was seen on the earth was the moon's ominous black shadow. There was not even a halo of light around it, and so the rock was lost to human eyes.

"Here!!"

Screams permeated from the building as flashed of light began to pulse out of the windows. Hands flew towards the windows, as if to escape the fate that the people within had drawn themselves into, however unwittingly. One person, in particular, tried to escape.

"Mamo-chan...........Ma.................mo................."

But whatever was in the building, whatever form the dark essence that overtook those inside assumed, it was all-powerful and all-consuming. Soon, there were no hands clawing at the windows, and no screams for help or assistance. There was nothing but silence, as if everyone was obeying some unspoken command.

"Let us....." An evil smile formed on the pursed, cherry red lips. "....._begin_."


	3. Part B

PRETTY SOLDIER SAILOR MOON

Episode 62.5

I Want To Be The Smartest Ever! Birth of Genius Usagi?

Part B

RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!

The first bell of the school day chimed as the gates opened. It chimed seven times, once each second, as if to warn the students that seconds counted in getting ready for class.

".....She didn't..."

"No." Luna walked in between the two sets of legs, though in her sleep-deprived condition, it was more along the lines of weaving. "I was up all night waiting for her. Nothing."

"That's so odd." Makoto looked up. "It's also worrisome."

"Very." Ami clutched her schoolbag in one hand. In the other was Usagi's. "I even had Chibi-Usa coming to my house to find her. I told her I didn't know, and even she looked a little worried."

"Well, of coure Chibi-Usa is worried!" Makoto looked at Luna. "At least I hope she's _genuinely_ worried."

"Well, I look at it this was, Mako-chan." Luna gave a huff. "As long as Usagi-chan's around, Chibi-Usa has someone to blame for her nonsense. Though, I tend to see it as a _good_ thing so long as I'm not aroused from my sleep."

"A good thing, Luna?"

"In a way, I guess it teaches Usagi-chan to be more mindful of her charges." Luna looked down. "You know. The enemy is after her for some reason. No matter what, Usagi-chan has to learn patience with her or else, surely, that little girl will surely fall into the wrong hands."

"....Luna...." Ami turned red. "Do you think that we may be pushing this all on her too soon? I understand your concern with her grades, but do you really think threatening her was a good idea?"

"I'm...not sure what to do with that girl at the moment." Luna shook her head. "Perhaps I opened up another can of worms for her unintentionally. Chibi-Usa and Mamoru-san was bad enough..."

"But you do it because you care, Luna!" Makoto began to sweat. "I mean, you didn't do it to be mean to her. You care about her grades!"

"Ah, yes...." Luna stopped. "But do I care too much...?"

Ami and Makoto turned around to face the black cat. Her head was down, and her shoulders were slumped.

"Oh, Luna...!" Ami bent down. "You shouldn't talk that way!"

"Luna." Makoto bent down. "Listen. You just go home and get some time to yourself. Go visit Artemis or something like that. I think you're letting this go to your head."

"For all we know," at this, Ami gave a smile. "Usagi-chan probably fell asleep playing video games. She'll be awake in no time and late as usual, and I'll be mindful of it as always."

"...You really think so?" Luna smirked. "I guess I can't say I have the same faith in her...."

"Luna, go home." Makoto past Luna. "You need rest."

For a moment, Luna looked back and forth at Ami and Makoto's faces, seemingly unsure of what to do. Finally, though, she gave a smile, nodded, and quietly padded off.

"Hmm...." Makoto turned around as Luna disappeared from sight. "Are we sure of ourselves, Ami-chan?"

"Oh, Mako-chan." Ami turned red. "I feel so horrible. I'm guilty of _telling_ Usagi those comments. They didn't have to be said to her."

"Ami-chan." Makoto put her arm around Ami. "Look, let's just go to school. We can't let this consume us. If she's not at school and we don't see her by the end of the day...."

"If we don't see her...." Ami repeated.

"....We'll form a search party for her and scour the city." A determined look came onto Makoto's face. "Come on, Ami-chan! Lighten up!"

"O.....ok......"

For a few minutes, Ami's fear were massaged by Makoto's words. In fact, she was almost ready to accept Makoto's ultimatum, and to wait until after school to look for Usagi if nothing was heard from her during the day.

"What the.....you're kidding!"

The fears, however, sprang forth vehemently, though Ami could not explain why, when she approached the school. There were a gaggle of girls talking excitedly by the gate, and their tones almost squeaked. They also appeared to be the only ones there, unlike a normal morning, where swarms of students would stand out front and talk until the last minute.

"Bl bla bla.....did you hear......._Usagi_......"

It was at this that Ami's head came up. She heard the name loud and clear, and the next minute she found herself standing right next to the girls, trying to hear their words.

"...Ami-chan?" Makoto looked confused. "What-"

"Um....._excuse_ us."

Ami began to sweat as she felt the eyes com on her. She looked up to see that all of the girls - three in number - were almost glaring at her.

"Um......" One of them stepped forward. "Mizuno-san, would....would you _mind_ if you attended to your own business?"

"Oh...." Ami felt embarrassed as she looked at Makoto. "I....I'm sorry, but I....I thought...."

"Thought what?"

"....I heard...." Ami turned red. "....You mentioned 'Usagi'."

At this, the expressions changed. They went from stares of casual repulsion and apprehensiveness to looks of total shock and surprise. All three looked at one another, unable to reply.

....Oh no.... Ami's face paled. _Something.....something happened....!_

Finally, one of the girls spoke.

"A....Mizuno-san....." One of them smiled uneasily. "You....you _are_ a friend of Usagi, yes? You and Mako-chan both, right?"

".....Yes...." Ami returned her own look of uneasiness, while Makoto simply scratched her head. "What....what happened?"

"....Mizuno-san...." The girls turned towards the school. "You might want to come with us. You won't believe it either...."

--------------------

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see."

Ami and Makoto gave each other uneasy looks as they followed the three girls down the hall. Like outside, there were few people in the hall, if any. In the distance there could be heard a faint commotion.

"I...." Ami whispered nervously to Makoto. "...I'm not liking this."

"Right back," Makoto whispered. "I don't like the feeling I'm getting about this at all."

Finally, the group found what they were looking for, and Ami's heart froze. There was a huge crowd of students standing around Usagi's homeroom, some peering in, some simply standing and staring.

"What the?!" Makoto's eyes widened. "Guys, what-"

"Usagi-chan!"

Before the girls could restrain her and explain, Ami had broken out into a dead run. Without any conviction, she pushed aside any student who stood in her way to the door.

"Wait! Ami-chan!"

Makoto turned red and gave a sigh. Seeing as she actually had no room to get into the strange fray, she resigned herself to getting to her classes before the late bell rang. She resolved to learn of it later.

"Excuse me.....pardon me......" Meanwhile, Ami struggled. "Usagi-chan!? Are you there?!"

Ami's heart raced as she got closer and closer to the door. She could hear the shocked remarks of her fellow students, and could see the looks on their faces. Yet, it was not until she managed to break through the sea of kids and finally enter the classroom, after much impolite pushing and shoving, that she saw what the deal was.

She almost screamed when she saw it.

"....And we pass the sub-exponent over into the inferential number......."

The class, though it had not even started, was filled with students, some sitting at desks, others standing at the walls. Some eagerly wrote down what was being written on the black board and spoken of, though others simply stared in shock.

".....And when we divide the sub-components by the irrational numbers within the answer of x35.2...."

The classroom was at full attention, watching the lecture in total fascination. Indeed, someone was teaching a class, but it was not the teacher. For Ms. Haruna simply stood off to the side, her face as white as powder.

"And then we......oh."

Ami's expression was one of unfathomed horror as the teacher stopped writing her equation on the blackboard and turned towards the back. With a strange, knowing smile that was foreign to her expressions, Usagi, who now wore small glasses, gave a nod towards Ami.

"Ami-chan." The smile was unsettling. "The school's former scholastic champion. Good morning!"

----------------------

"_WHAT_?!?!?!?"

Ami and Naru stared, wide-eyed, as Usagi ate her lunch in an almost perfect fashion. Each bite was taken politely and intentionally, almost as if she were at a dinner function. Likewise, everyone else in the room was staring at her.

"Yes." Usagi's very tone seemed different then before; it was one of certainty and upper-handed informativeness. "I went in and I made sure they gave me the test."

"And....you tested...." Naru's eyes widened. "You tested a _320 I.Q_. on the Japan School Registry? _This MORNING_?!?!? B-b-b-b-but that's impossible!"

"Is it?" Usagi took a sip of her drink. "Unlikely, yes. Improbable, yes. But impossible? You underestimate the potential of the human brain to leech knowledge from its environment, Naru-chan, if you find it _impossible_!"

Naru looked at Ami, then back and Usagi, then back and forth again. She scratched her head in confusion.

"Ami..."

"I....." Ami looked down. "I had nothing to do with this...."

"....._Wow...._" Naru blushed. "Well, I.....maybe you'll help me with homework now, Usagi!"

"Oh, naturally!" Usagi pat her lips with the napkin in an almost aristocratic manner. "With my increased cerebral power, I can even teach the _teachers_ a thing or too now, Naru-chan!"

"Oh, wow, I....." Naru swooned. "Like this morning......Oh wow, I.......man, I need to sit down or something....."

With that, Naru teetered off, leaving Ami and Usagi alone at the table. Ami stared at Usagi, her eyes filled with concern. She looked for words to express herself, but could find none.

So quickly......and almost overnight....

"Hmph." Usagi turned her nose up as she finished her food. "The school system here is deplorable if _I'm_ teaching. That's all right, though, because I feel great. _Great_. And," She turned to Ami. "I'll be going to Mamo-chan's tonight to show him my newfound powers of intelligence. It'll be _awesome_! Like 8,940,384,200 hot dogs with 2 ounces of ketchup on them, exactly. Its also the amount of frankfurters you could fit into all of the buildings in Tokyo. I bet you didn't know _that_, Ami-chan."

"Usagi-chan...." Ami finally spoke. "What.....what happened?"

"Well, what does it look like, Ami-chan?" Usagi smirked. "I became smarter!"

"Oh, Usagi-chan..."

"...Hmph." Usagi saw the shocked look on Ami's face and frowned. "It figures _you_ wouldn't be happy about it."

"What?!" Ami's eyes widened. "Usagi-chan, how-"

"Well, it doesn't matter what _you_ think!" Usagi tossed her hair and laughed. "It only matters what Mamo-chan thinks. He'll be so happy to see me like this."

"Usagi-chan, what are you..." Ami's voice trailed off.

"Ha!" Usagi pointed to Ami. "Don't perseverant on my name. It's immature."

"But I-"

"Don't worry though, Ami-chan." Usagi rubbed her chin. "I understand you're shocked by my sudden increase of knowledge imput and output. It _is_ surprising, isn't it?"

"Usagi-chan!"

At this, Makoto came in, breathless. Ami turned red as Makoto bent in to examine Usagi, her eyes wide.

"I-is it true?!" Makoto stammered. "Usagi-chan, I heard you taught class today! Is it t-true? I mean....is it even _possible_?!"

"True?!" Usagi gave a huffed laugh. "Oh. Mako-chan, you're adherance to scholastic propaganda and bias towards me blinds your already clouded vortex of contextual conception! Why would you not think such an event probable?"

"....Huh?" Makoto tilted her head to the side. "Wha......what bias?"

"...Haah." At this, Usagi stood up. "Well, since I have been suspended for three days for my attempt to enlighten my peers...my former, substandard peers....I shall go home and study the Feynman equation to greater length. Good bye."

With a toss of her hair, Usagi was gone, leaving Makoto and Ami to stare in shock at her departure.

"Woah...." Suddenly, Makoto spoke, her tone slightly annoyed. "I don't know what happened to Usagi-chan....and....I didn't understand half of what she said....but...." She clenched a fist. "That didn't sound right at all!"

Ami simply kept looking at the door. Usagi's shadow still lingered there for a moment, or so it seemed, until it had slipped away from her sight.

"No," Ami murmured as she looked down at Usagi's schoolbag. "It doesn't."

-------------------

"Hmm! Hmm....hm hmmm hmmmmm......"

Usagi's steps home were almost leaps of happiness. She hummed, and smiled, and generally kept her head up towards the clouds. Her brain churned as nodes of information instantaneously came into her brain, as easily as if they had always been nestled in there. Before, she would have watched the clouds in ignorant bliss; now, she had knowledge of every inch of their aspects.

Hmm.... Usagi skipped as she looked at one, fluffy cloud. _The pH of acid in that one......is.........abouuuuuuuuut..... .9264632. Heehee! That's not bad for a city like ours!_

And she went on skipping, humming to herself, not having a care in the world because, in her mind, her newfound intelligence solved all of those problems. She was not exactly sure, in honesty, how she had gotten so smart so quickly; however, she knew it had to do with where she had been last night.

"So long, Juuban Junior High!" She giggled. "All I need now is the Learning Center! Pooh on Naru-chan and Mako-chan and even Ami-chan! Who needs ignorance of that kind?"

Nor did it bother her that she didn't remember exactly how she had gotten the knowledge, either. She didn't care. She was so elated that she felt as if she could charge in and solve even the impossible, because now it was possible. She was in a self-hagiographic phase, and it was, to her, like being reborn into a new person.

"Laa la laaaaaa!" Usagi smiled as she skipped into her gate. "Laa laaaaaa! This is so invigorating! Wow, the fact I even _know_ what invigorating means now is......invigorating! Tee hee...."

With that, she opened the door, throwing it closed as she triumphantly strolled into her house. With a leap, she cleared the two entrance stairs and proceeded into the living room.

"Laalaaaa....."

"Mmmr....." A black tail came up at the sound of Usagi's coming. "Mmmm.....Usagi-chan....?"

Usagi looked to see Luna on the couch, her head groggily coming up off of the armrest at her approach. Instantly, Usagi's mood turned sour and disdainful.

"_Oh_."

"Usagi-chan...!" Luna's eyes were half open. "Oh. my....I waited for you all night.....where were you?"

"...Nowhere."

"That's a lie." Luna gave Usagi a look. "Where were you?"

"Why should it matter?" To Luna's surprise, Usagi suddenly turned her nose up at the question. "I am here, I'm breathing, fibrulating, exhaling waste, and so on and so forth. And forgive me for being slightly of the cock-a-hoop mood, but I've got better things to do right now than to explain myself to a torpid feline. After my meeting with Mamo-chan, I will be returning to the learning center."

"What the-"

Before Luna could even respond, Usagi was gone, having stomped away from her. The cat was wide-awake now, unbelieving of what she was hearing.

She.... Luna stared in shock. _Did she just....insult me? Just like that?!_

-

Usagi's nose was still turned up as she walked up the stairs. She didn't want to admit it, but somehow saying what she had said gave Usagi a strange feeling of power she never had before, even in times before. Being smarter seemed to give her more confidence, and she smiled at the comforting thought.

"Yoohoo! Usagi-chan!"

"Hmph."

Usagi frowned as she turned to see Chibi-Usa standing behind her. The pink-haired girl had a mischevious smirk on her face, and was accompanied by her floating cat head, Luna-P.

"You're home early!" Chibi-Usa had her arms crossed. "Did you get in trouble?"

"Why should it matter to you?" Usagi cooly replied. "Why should you feel yourself privy to information?"

"Because I...." Chibi-Usa paused. "What's 'privy' mean?"

"Heehee!" Usagi snorted as she once again turned up her nose. "Poor Chibi-Usa. Your geneology must be sub-par and inferior to not know such things."

With that, Usagi walked into her room and slammed the door in the little girl's face. With another hum, she looked at her bookshelf.

Hmmm.....Hmm? Usagi frowned. As she looked through the books, she haughtily ripped up several of them. _Manga......manga........manga.........Seventeeen....no no, none of this will do at all! Nothing intelligent and unstimulating. Hup! Out you all go!_

With that, she unceremoniously took off every book from her shelf and threw it at her garbage pail. It made such a loud thumping sound that it again started Luna, who had almost drifted back to sleep.

Usagi?! Luna was now wide awake. _Usagi-chan!_

Meanwhile, Usagi was looking around the room, searching through her drawers and her closets. The piles on her floor started to build up into perpetual mountains.

No.....no......no....I need.....ah! She produced a library card. _I have it. I'll go to the library and borrow some books! And then to Mamo-chan's and...._

She smiled. Without another word, she ran out of the room, ran past Chibi-Usa, jumped down the stairs, zoomed past Luna, whom was coming up the stairs, and bolted out of the door.

"Woo!" Luna could hear Usagi as she ran down the street. "Intelligence, my serendipity! WHEEE!"

Luna turned around towards the doorway of Usagi's room and gasped. Her room was both a complete mess and an ordered one as well. Everything was on the floor in unusually neat piles, and the piles were even uncoordinated.

What the....

Most shocking to Luna was the pile of mangas on the floor. They were all crowded around the wastebasket, and some were even shoved down in there to make room for more. Several of the mangas were also ripped in half.

Usagi-chan..... Luna's eyes furrowed. _No. Something is wrong. I can feel it._

With that, Luna turned and ran down the stairs, leaving Chibi-Usa by herself. The little girl, however, was scratching her head in confusion.

"What...." Chibi-Usa looked at Luna-P. "What does 'privy' _mean_, anyways?"

----------------------------

"Usagi-chan...smarter?"

Minako's jaw dropped as Ami and Makoto nodded. She also nearly dropped her drink on the table, but minded herself before it came to that.

"So.....how smart are we talking here?"

"Smarter.....than Ami-chan, according to an I.Q. test...At least, according to her."

"That...." Minako's eyes were as wide as saucers. "Ami-chan! How do you feel about that? I mean, Usagi-chan, _smart_! Two opposite concepts, together!"

"I......" Ami looked worried. "I don't know what to think. I mean, yes, she's smarter....."

"....Buuuut?"

"But I....." Ami suddenly looked fierce. "I don't trust it. It's too sudden."

"An act of God, maybe?" Minako grinned. "Stranger things have happened....heheh....."

Ami's look became tight, and Minako's smile, as a result, collapsed. The blonde girl almost whimpered at the blue-haired girl's expression.

"C-continue...."

"Usagi-chan....wasn't herself. "Ami shook her head. "No, she was completely different! She was putting us down with every word. She may have gotten smarter, but.....at a cost, if its real."

"....Maybe its the enemy."

Everyone turned to look at Minako, their eyes squinted at her. Minako, in return, looked at Ami and Makoto, her face dead serious.

"....Honest!"

"I don't know why that didn't come up as a first priority..." Makoto sweat despite her sarcasm. "I mean, I'd have _never_ thought of it..."

"Oh, stop it!" Minako tapped her finger on the table. "I'm being serious! If the enemy's gotten to Usagi, who knows what might happen to her. It could end up like it was with Mamor-"

"No need to remind us, Mina." Artemis mumbled.

"Well, we have to find her!" Minako stood up. "Regardless. Tell me, where do you think she is?"

-----------------------

TROMPTROMPTROMPTROMP**STOMP**  
  
Usagi nearly tripped on the last step to Mamoru's apartment; fortunately, her newfound intelligence allowed her newfound coordination. Or at least a compensation; her mind quickly calculated the angle she needed to arch her back in order to allow herself to keep her balance, dividing her weight by the acceleration of gravity before coming up with a hypothetical angle.   
  
It was all a split second reaction, but Usagi made the best of it, and the last step was tackled with calculated ease. Landing on her feet, Usagi gave a smile.  
  
_Wow._ She looked down the hall. _Being a genius is so much fun!_  
  
She walked, a load of books in her arms. Several of them dealt with medical terminologies and diagnostic scenarios, which was Mamoru's forte. Others, however, dealt with physics, advanced English (which, by speed reading, she somehow managed to absorb completely within the space of an hour) and analytical chemistry.   
  
_I can't wait....._ Usagi beamed. _To show him what I've learned!...._  
  
Suddenly, she stopped. Her arms, carrying the books, suddenly went limp, allowing everything to scatter on the floor. She closed her eyes tightly. She couldn't understand it, but it was as if, suddenly, there was a thumping in the back of her mind, someone taking a hammer and smacking her from the inside.  
  
_Oh.....my head......._  
  
Her hands went to her temples, rubbing them as if it could sooth the sudden pain. However, the pain seemed to increase. It became so bad and resonated so that it felt like what she had learned was about to be wretched from her mind through her mouth. Or worse, her nose  
  
_Stop.....please stop......_  
  
Finally, after three minutes, the pain subsided, and Usagi felt better. However, she did not feel the same as she had before; she felt more irritated. It had almost felt like someone within her mind had been trying to tug something away from her.  
  
_Hmph!_ Usagi picked the books up. _Stupid.....I almost felt like my mind would slip. Well, let's hope it doesn't happen again, right?_  
  
Not completely able to shake off the irritation for some reason, Usagi put on her best smile and proceeded towards Mamoru's apartment door. She paused for a moment, gathering the words she would say to him, before giving three knocks on the wood - at points where, her mind calculated, the sound waves created from her knowing would travel longest and be heard loudest.

--------------------

"Syruubein."

The cherry lips smiled in the shadows of the room. The figure whom they belonged to rubbed its hands eagerly as it watched the clouds in the room - which only she could see - darken the very fiber of the wallpaper and floors. Above the room was a single light, yet this fixture seemed the darkest of all things within the area..

"Syruubein." The figure turned towards the blackboard. "The drive of intelligence. Syruubein. That drive leads to the desire for knowledge. I, as a giver of knowledge, uses that drive to power the Crystal Point. Syruubein. The greater desires recieve greater energies from the light, and it give them knowledge.....and gives us their souls. Already, we will have the point soon. Only another day or soo, more people to desire, to take in the energy and to feed their greed to the light....for the Black Moon.....Syruubein."

"Intriguing."

The figure turned around. Beruche and Calaveras both sat at a desk, looking at the light. 

"A fine job." Beruche tapped a pen on the desk. "We may have this Crystal Point very soon if there are no interruptions."

"Yeah." A smirk came onto Calaveras' face. "Keep up the good work, Syruubein. We may split rewards with you when the time comes."

"No need for that." The figure turned back to the board. "Only the pursuit of knowledge satifies my thirst. Syruubein. That, and the corruption of humans. Nothing more."

"I....see....."

Sweating, Calaveras turned to Beruche. A slightly annoyed expression was on her face.

"Um, sister," Calaveras mumbled. "Don't you think you endowed a litt itoo/i much of your thought into the droid?"

"Me? Why no." Beruche feigned surprise. "Besides which, I thought we had a deal? So why should it matter how much _I_ do? At least you're in on the victory."

Calaveras went to say something, but stopped. Her mind went through the possibility of Beruche's asinine assumption being right, and slowly came to the unwanted conclusion that she was. With a sulk she turned away.

"Fine."

"Good." Beruche turned back to Syruubein. "Continue. We'll up the dosage tonight and begin the complete corruption. It ends tonight. This point is ours. Understood?"

"_Syruubein._" Red eyes flashed in the darkness. "Understood."

--------------------

Usagi-chan..........Usagi-chan.....

Luna padded down the street, her head hung low in thought. She had been walking for a good hour now, and she was slowing down from slight exhaustion.

Oh, can't think...... Luna stopped. _Why, why, Usagi-chan? I only want you to do better. Then, all of a sudden-_

"....don't come back!"

The sound of a familiar voice brought Luna to attention. She looked over, spotting the gates of TA Girls' School just inches away. So absorbed had she been in thoughts about Usagi that she had not realized what direction she was going in.

"Hmph. I heard you the first time, dumb bitch."

Luna managed to hide in nearby bushes before anyone came out, and watched what happened from her spot. Coming out of the gates of the school was Rei, two nuns, and a black-haired girl Luna had never seen before. Upon pushing the girl out, the nuns immediately retired back into the gates. Rei, meanwhile, was left standing outside with the girl, who simply turned her nose at her.

"I guess you're a victim of the propaganda they feed here?" The cold, superior tone of the girl's voice made Luna shudder. "Hmph. Roman Catholicism as the religion of righteousness. Yet I'd have hoped you knew as well as I now do that they're just religious zealots."

"I happen to be a priestess myself if you've forgotten," Rei glared back. "I'd really like to know why you suddenly hate religion?"

Something.... Luna stared. _What is this strange feeling I have all of a sudden....?_

"Religion is the opium of the masses." The girl looked away for a moment. "I thought you'd know better, but I guess you're just as foolish as everyone else in there. I forgot, you hang on every woman you meet like they're your mother. It's sad how desperate people can be. Still," She looked back. "I won't miss this place."

"Well!" Though insulted, Rei crossed her arms and pretended otherwise. "I may be ignorant and I may cling, but at least I didn't turn into some selfish pig instantaneously overnight! And what in the world makes you suddenly better than us? You certainly weren't like this yesterday!"

"Ha!" The girl laughed at Rei. "Someone with your narrow understanding could never grasp the thirst of knowledge I have had during the years I've been at TA. But now, I've found a _better_ school that makes me smarter, so fuah to you and to those ignorant, faggot nuns!"

Better.....school? Luna's ears suddenly perked up. _Smarter? Wait a minute..._

"Well, you can go to that 'learning center'," Rei growled. "And have them teach you manners!"

"Why, you!!" The girl's face darkened. "You peon!"

Luna gasped as the girl threw herself at Rei. As she went in motion, a strange, darkened area suddenly appeared around the girl, changing into the shape of a larger figure. It was one of fangs, and most predominantly, an upside down Black Moon sign.

"REI!"

Rei heard Luna's screech even as she stared into the hating face of her classmate. Instinct kicked in, and she took a step back.

"Aku.....ryo....." With several movements and chants, the raven-haired girl pulled out a scroll. "_tai.......SAN!!!!!_"

The incensed classmate gave a pained scream as Rei slapped to scroll onto her forehead. With a gasp, the black energy monster dispersed, and the girl slumped to the ground, unconscious.

"....I knew it."

"Rei-chan!" Luna popped out of the trees. "Rei-chan, that was-"

"An enemy."

Rei glared down at the scroll. The Black Moon sign briefly flashed onto it before the paper turned completely black. Luna looked at the scroll worriedly.

"That girl..."

"I knew something was wrong with her when she came in." Rei wiped her hands. "She's a nice girl, but then all of a sudden, out of nowhere. This energy came from her. And she was a different person. She hassled the teachers and nuns and mocked the underclassmen."

"Rei-chan..." Luna began to sweat. Her blood began to pump. "Why was she....did she say?"

"Yeah..." Rei looked at Luna. "She said she had found this school that was making her smarter. Juuban Learning Center. And she claims her IQ went up 130 points in one week."

"......Learning Center!"

Suddenly, Luna was on the move. She jumped up onto the wall and looked back down at Rei with a frightened face.

"Luna?"

"Rei-chan! Call the others!" Luna motioned. "Its about Usagi-chan! The enemy has her!"

"What!?"

"This morning, and all this afternoon." Luna sniffed. "Usagi was just like this girl. Only _smarter_."

"_Usagi_?!" At this, Rei began to sweat. "Huh.....y-yes, I can see where we have a problem now...."

"Hurry!" Luna bounded away. "There's no time!"

Luna ran off, and Rei quickly took out her watch. She clicked open the speaker dial and began pressing buttons.

"Ami-chan.....Mako-chan?" She spoke nervously. "Yeah, its about Usagi...."

As quick as she could, Rei reiterated the story, and in turn heard what had happened with Usagi. Unknown to her, however, was that someone was listening in to her conversation.

"....Learning Center....you do know.....Ok, Mina-chan!" Rei clicked her watch closed. "Its time to save Usagi!"

...Yes.....

A shaded figure watched as Rei ran down the street, jumping over the unconscious schoolmate as she did. A hand went to its mouth, pondering the situation.

....I have no choice. Taking up a cane, the figure followed. _I....No matter what......I must help her this time._


	4. Part C

****

Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon

Episode 62.5

I Want To Be The Smartest Ever! Birth of Genius Usagi?

Part C

The sunset of Tokyo was a marvelous sight to behold. Even in the late afternoon, the colors of dusk began to shine through. Greens, yellows and blues.

"Move _over_." Minako kicked Artemis. "You're heating my socks up and making my feet sweat!"

"Well! Ex_cuuuuuse_ me." Artemis gave a growl. "There's no room in here."

Ami, Minako, Makoto and Artemis were in an elevator, which was racing up to the floor where Mamoru's apartment was. They decided to go there first on the chance that Usagi was there, though they were unsure of that fact. It was a small elevator that they ended up getting, and so all three girls were cramped and shoved inside.

"Um..." Ami began to sweat as the elevator began to slow down. "Didn't we.....didn't we want to go help Rei-chan?"

"Well, yeah!" Minako held out her hand, almost boking Ami in the nose. "Oops, sorry. But first we have to try to help Usagi-chan! Since we're pretty sure she's infected now..."

"Well," Makoto wiped her hands and cracked her knuckles. "Usagi-chan may be a friend normally, but if Rei's friend is like Usagi-chan, we'll have to be careful. We have no _ofudas_ here."

"Well..."

Finally, the elevator door opened. The three girls stumbled out, gasping for breath.

"Jesus Christ, I can move!" Minako wiggled her hands. "Remind me never to go to Mamoru's apartment again."

"How to do this." Makoto rubbed her chin. "Do we have a plan, Artemis?"

"No, I....I don't have a plan." Artemis clawed Minako's butt. "Off me, Geena!"

"OW!"

"Well, maybe just talking to her....?"

"Shh."

Ami who was up, waved to them, bidding them to silence. She then pointed quietly over towards the end of the hall.

".....There."

The others stood up, looked and stared at what was in front of them. Down at the far end of the hall was a quaking Usagi, her head in knees. Books were scattered all over the hall, with some of them having the pages torn out. Faintly, very faintly, they could hear an almost painful moan.

".....Usagi-chan!"

It was Ami who was first, followed by Makoto, then by Minako, and finally Artemis. Ami almost jumped on her, but checked herself before doing so, resorting instead to bending down towards her.

"Usagi......chan?" Ami slowly brought her hand onto her shoulder. "Are yo-"

The gesture of concern, normally taken graciously by the girl in front of her, was instead jerked off violently. With a snarl, Usagi almost seemed to hug herself into a tight ball.

"Go away" was her muffled, angry reply.

Ami's hand backed away. Her eyes began to tear up, but she forced them back.

"Usagi-chan...." Ami gulped, and held her voice steady. "We need.....we need to talk."

"No."

"Usagi-chan-"

"I'm.....waiting for Mamo-chan." Usagi's voice was filled with irritation and anger. She made herself into a tighter ball, almost to the point where she was shaking violently from the tension. "Go away. Leave me alone. Study something. Maybe you'll catch up to me."

The last sentence left Ami stunned. There was a moment of silence as Minako and Makoto watched, quietly positioning themselves several feet off.

"Just......steady....." Artemis whispered.

Slowly, Usagi's body relaxed ever so slightly, and her head came up, just enough to show one of her eyes. For some reason, the shadows seemed to make her blue eyes look darker, though Ami could not be sure that it was just that.

"I...saved myself." It stared at Ami as its owner spoke again. "I calculated how to walk. I calculated how hard to knock on Mamo-chan's door. I calculated that formula this morning, I know 300,000 words in Japanese, I've memorized thirteen languages, and I know _pi_ up to an accuracy of .023 x 10(-2162617)."

"Usagi-"

Ami went to touch Usagi once more. This time, however, the reaction was more violent. Before she knew it, Ami was on the floor, her head was ringing, and she something warm trickle from her nose. Usagi was in the corner, her eyes wide with paranoia.

"Y-you j-just want to see me fail!" The room swam around Ami as Usagi huddled, her voice almost squeaking. "Mamo-chan's not here because of you!"

"W-what?"

"I _saw_ you." The finger pointed at Ami seemed full of hatred and anger. "You and Mamo-chan. The way you talked. The admiring looks you gave. You just want him for _yourself_!"

"_Usagi_-"

"Stop it!" Usagi shook again. "You're _lying_! You _know_ you are!"

Minako and Makoto watched in shock as Usagi stood over Ami. A dark red aura began to surround Usagi as she slowly straightened her stance.

"U-usagi-chan." Ami looked up at Usagi pleadingly. "You have to listen to me. Why, _why_ would I want your boyfriend? All I did was borrow a book from him. It was one I was using to research ultrasound."

"And why should I believe your empty words?"

"Because." Though stung, Ami continued on. "I wouldn't be such a vicious person. You're my friend."

"Oh?" Usagi turned away. "Then what about Luna? She wants to take my powers away! She wants to incapacitate my abilities too!"

"Luna only looks out for you!" This time, Makoto stepped in. "Luna wants you to have a balanced life. We know you're not perfect......but.....Usagi, you've been infected by the enemy. Please, listen to us, please."

There was another moment of silence. Makoto, Minako, Ami, and especially Artemis watched Usagi's reaction to the words. For one moment, she looked about her confusedly - first at Ami, then at the books, then at the other girls and back again. Slowly, the red aura began to disappear.

__

Come on..... Artemis clenched his teeth. _You can hear us, Usagi. Listen to us!_

Suddenly, the response came. The aura returned.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!"

Ami barely had the time to dodge as Usagi's foot centered on her crotch. She rolled over, avoiding the kick, though she hit several of the books along the way.

"Stop it! STOP IT!" Usagi shook her head violently with a screech. "You're all LYING!"

"Usagi!" Artemis gasped. "I thought we had her....!"

"Usagi-chan!" Minako's hands went to her face. "You're going to wake up the neighbors!"

"Mina-chan!" Makoto sweat.

"L-let them!" Usagi swerved around. "I don't care! You're just trying to stop me! But I won't be stopped! I'll be the smartest girl in the world, and Mamo-chan will be _mine_ again and.......and.......UUUUGH........"

Usagi's face paled as she suddenly collapsed to the floor. She shuddered violently as her hands went to her head, and she double over in front of them. The aura disappeared.

"......Head............no.......ow......."

Makoto looked at Minako. Minako, in response, looked back at her with a nod. They then looked at Ami, who was on the floor, and then finally at Usagi.

"....Girls?" Artemis looked up at them and gave a nod. "Well..."

There was no more hesitation. The two jumped.

"YAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!"

"AIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIE!!!!!!!!!!"

Usagi was first hit by Makoto, then Minako, and after a moment of reluctance, by Artemis. The two girls grabbed various limbs, but was met again with resistance.

"GET OFF!!!" Usagi smacked Minako in the face. "Get OOOOOOOFF!!!!"

"No!" Minako's hands slipped from Usagi's pulliung, but managed to grab her shirt. "Usagi, you're being brainwashed!"

"NO I'M **NOT**!!!!!"

"Yes.....you......HOOMPH!"

Makoto was hit in the stomach, which caused her to lose her grip on Usagi's waist. She tried to grab her shirt but was unable to prevent it from ripping. Usagi then clawed at Makoto, who was saved only by Artemis, who instead took the blow.

"YIPE!!"

"Guys....!"

Ami, who had been on the ground, watched the debacle in horror. Slowly, however, she realized talking would not work, and cautiously encircled the three brawlers. Finally, with a silent calculation of angles, she managed to grab one of Usagi's legs with a firm grip.

"UUUGH!"

Despite Ami's involvement, Usagi still resisted. She screeched, she shouted, and she clawed and bit and swiped. She was almost like an animal, and her screeching brought several quizzical people to their doors.

"This isn't.......working!!" Makoto growled. "She........won't......listen!"

"Listen!" Artemis shouted over the fray. "I think.....ow! I have......an ide-MEH!....idea now to....help UsagIIIIIIAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!"

The resulting plan, one that was spur-of-the-moment, was shouted out in intervals as Artemis was pulled and pushed with the rest of the girls. Usagi's attempts to escape, meanwhile, became more and more animated as the full plan took form and was reiterated.

"No! NO!!!!!!!" Usagi struggled violently. "None of you _understand_! I want this, I _want_ this, I want to be smart!!!! I **WANT**-"

Usagi's protest was suddenly transformed into a squeak. A powerful fist connected to her chest, knocking the breath out of Usagi. Instantly, whatever fight she had was gone, and she simply fell limp in Ami and Minako's arms.

"There....."

Ami and Minako gawked as Makoto put her sleeves down. A slightly satisfied look came on her face.

"Mako-chan...." Minako's voice squeaked. "You.....you punched Usagi-chan!"

"It was either that," Makoto shrugged. "Or have her kicking and screaming to the center."

"Do we really want to do this?" Ami looked worried. "Once we start..."

"Its the only way, Ami-chan." Makoto looked down at Usagi. "Remember our theory: if we had let her get wherever she wanted to go after seeing Mamoru-san...."

"...She will simply return to the point where the dark energy was administered and get more of it into her." Artemis nodded. "It's addicting, in whatever form the energy's taken in its victims. If she had more put in her, that would have made it more difficult for her to be flushed of the power. But right now, we have a very good chance; she probably only went last night."

There was a short silence at this.

"Well, then." Finally, Makoto slung the semi-conscious girl onto her shoulders. "Let's get going, then!"

So the group began down the hall, ignoring the stares of those who had beheld the fight. One old lady, in particular, began to swear against them. She tapped her worn brown slippers as she watched girl girls off with an aged air.

"Stupid children...." she mumbled as she glared at them. "Don't they know manners.......beating up a girl......Hmph! It's the schools, it is!"

"Do you have a problem?"

The old lady's attention was caught by the voice. She looked down and gave a screech as Artemis stared at her with an a look of disgruntlement.

"Mind your own business."

"I.....oh, I've gone.....maad......."

With a snobbish lash of his tail, the white cat scampered off to catch the elevator with the other girls, leaving the old lady to faint in the middle of the hall.

----------------------

"Rei-chan, this is the place!"

Luna and Rei stood in front of the large, pearl-white building that housed the Juuban Learning Center. The sun, again, was beginning to set, but both the cat and the black-haired girl were wide awake, their eyes set on the groups of students entering the building.

"The aura...." Rei's eyes furrowed. "The enemy is here!"

"And there they are!" Luna looked worriedly at the droves of students entering. "The students! We have to save them!"

"Is..." Rei closed her eyes. "I....I can't feel Usagi......but....."

"There's no time, Rei-chan!" Luna crouched, her claws out. "We'd better get started! We can't wait for the other girls."

"Right!" Rei took out her transformation wand. "Mars Star Power, Make-Up!"

-

The cherry red lips pursed. Slowly, dark purple eyes opened as Beruche and Calaveras watched.

"Is it..."

"Transgressor alert....Sailor soldiers, commander Calaveras." The figure floated next to the teacher's desk. "My all-seeing eyes.....wait.....Syruubein. No, only one sailor. Identity of DNA and power matter: Sailor Mars. Also, a feline agent. Syruuben."

"Dammit!" Calaveras threw a desk over onto its side. "We haven't even been here at the Crystal Point for one day and they already _found_ us!"

"Patience, elder sister!" Beruche caught Calaveras' hand. "Don't get violent. We're not completely lost."

"We're....." Calaveras looked at Beruche. "....We're not?"

"Of course not!" Beruche smiled. "We have several tricks up our sleeves, don't we, Droid Syruuben?"

"Indeed, commander Beruche." The figure came into the light, revealing a bespeckled woman dressed in a schoolteacher uniform. Her cherry red lips formed into a malicious smile. "The first line of defense will be given. Students, activate!"

-

"YAH!"

Mars kicked the door down to one of the first classrooms on the first floor. She gave a pause.

"What the...."

Mars looked around confusedly, as did Luna. The class was filled with students, all bent down and in studious silence. Not a sound was uttered, yet there was no one supervising them.

"How....?" Mars began to sweat. "Oh dear...."

"I.....uh, I don't like the looks of this...." Luna turned around. "We'd better get out of-"

The sentence turned into a shriek as the classroom door abruptly slid and shut behind the two. The students slowly began to rise up, and their pupils dilated into nothing.

"**Students**." A voice came onto the loudspeakers. "**Your quest is threatened. Kill the intruders!**"

The Black Moon sign appeared on each student's forehead as they lunged forth at Mars and Luna with a yell of battle.

--------------------

The Black Moon sign appeared on Usagi's head just as the girls made it into the control center. Her eyes dilated, and she suddenly spasmed as the red aura reappeared as dark as ever.

"**RAAAAAAH**!"

"EEEP!" Minako barely dodged a swipe from Usagi. "Quick, quick! Strap her into the gurney!"

"I'm trying to!" Ami dodged a kick. "But she's struggling too hard! The enemy must be calling her! We have to calm her down before she hurts herself!"

"OW!" Makoto took a smack on her lips. "Geez, anymore of this and _I'll_ be hurting!"

The three girls managed to heave her onto a table and strap her down. However, the new Usagi was struggling furiously, and it was obvious that she was under enemy control. Her skin was paler, clashing with the faint Black Moon sign, her eyes were dilated to the point where only the white remained, and even her teeth looked longer, like a vampire's. She snarled and gnashed at the girls as the tried to calm her down to no avail.

"...AAUUUUUUUGH!"

Finally, Usagi managed another hit, this time on Minako. With a swift turn of her neck, her sharper teeth bared onto Minako's arm, resulting gushing blood everywhere.

"GET.....OFF......OF.....ME!!!" Minako punched Usagi's head, and with a squeaky roar Usagi unlatched herself. "Uuugh, this is getting to be too much! We _have_ to calm her down!"

"Ah....HAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

The next thing Artemis knew, he was right on top of Usagi, glaring right into her face. For a moment, Usagi looked blank, even in the depths of the black energy that overtook her.

"Take THIS!!!!!!!"

Several screams came from Usagi as Artemis proceeded to scratch every crevasse of the girl's face. She screamed, spasmed, gnashed and sturggled, but the white cat won out. Soon, both were bloody balls of mush - Artemis being bitten, Usagi being scratched - but Artemis, being the latecomer, won, and Usagi, her darkest energies exhausted, was reduced to a mumbling lump of blood, hair and school clothes.

"Le.....lemme.....go......mommy.....I...."

"....Thank......you.....ARTEMIS!" Minako grabbed her arm. "That was.....woah!"

"Let's hope this never happens again." Makoto looked exhausted. "Ami-chan, do you have the brain wave thingies?"

"Yes, I....have the.....'brain wave thingies'."

Ami dragged over a small square machine, one that looked similar to a guitar amp. With a grunt, she put it alongside the table next to Usagi, and began taking out wires and knobs.

"This will plug her schematics into the central control computer." Ami began taping various wire nodes onto Usagi's head. "Using it, we'll be able to at least calm Usagi-chan down until we can get Rei. To do it until we've defeated the monster....that may be a long shot."

"Pi......full...." Usagi simply stared up as she was attached. "3.........14......78.........21........."

"Especially if Usagi-chan acts up like she just did!" Makoto looked at Artemis, who was more pink than white. "I'm beginning not to like this idea."

"Don't worry." Artemis nodded. "If I could get her this time, I can get her again. I don't think we have to worry about another such outburst, though; she looks worn as it is. I'll keep tabs on her monitors."

".....48.......4325.....7901............"

"And if you're wrong about her, we're all screwed." Minako wiped the hair from her eyes. "Look, let's find and get to the place quickly. Ami-chan?"

"Right."

With a quick twist of her hand, Ami produced the small blue computer from her pocket. With several quick gestures, the computer blinked and beeped.

"Got it. The coordinates are not far from here." Ami turned to the other two. "We'd better hurry."

"Right!" Minako pulled out her wand. "You ready, Mako-chan?"

"You bet!" Makoto took out her wand as well. "Let's do this."

----------------------

"Aku Ryo........Tai San!"

The _ofuda_ scrolls came onto the students by the dozens. As they hit the students, the Black Moon signs disappeared, and each collapsed on the floor.

"There." Mars went into a fighting stance. "At least these students are down."

"Rei-chan...." Luna began to sweat. "I hope you have about a thousand more of those."

"Well," Mars looked at the window with an annoyed glare. "I wouldn't have to depend on my scrolls if certain parties came when they said they would."

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"

The sliding door behind the two suddenly shattered. More students began to pile into the room.

"Gah!" Mars grabbed Luna and crouched down. "Hold on. Agility....don't fail me!"

With a fantastic leap, Mars jumped up over the students, landing on top of one girl's head. The spike end of her high heel knocked the girl out.

"YAAAH!!!"

Mars landed on her feet running, for as soon as the students figured out what had happened, they all began to rush her in a blinding, raging stampede down the hall.

----------------------

"All right......"

Artemis plugged the final wire into Usagi. At the touch of her scalp, the computer sprang to life.

"Ok." Artemis hobbled over to the monitor. "This will allow me to watch your brain activities, Usagi. Let's see how this power affects you..."

With that, he jumped on the computer and waited for it to boot up.

-

__

Ma......mo..........chan........

Mam.....mo-chan.

Where. are. you.

I'm here, Mamo-chan. I went you your house and......you were gone.

__

Mamo-chan.......I've become smarter, just like I promised I would. Why is it everyone is against it? Don't.....don't they understand?  
  
-  
  
At the computer, Artemis watched Usagi's vital signs carefully. Her brain waves were shown with two lines, one black, one green. Both were fast erratic in their lines.  
  
"The black energy in her is making her brain produce several chemicals at several times their normal speed," the cat mused worriedly. "The norepinephrine and dopamine being produced in her brain, especially, are dangerously high. The dark energy that has infected her is causing this, to be sure."  
  
There was a silence at this. Usagi, meanwhile, kept mumbling.  
  
"The.........square root.........tirangle......"   
"Maybe in the short run its ok - in moderate levels, and in tense times, the brain is conjoled into producing more chemicals. But this initiative isn't normal at all; at this level, someone could go into shock! If nothing is done..." Artemis began to pace nervously. "It's bad enough if the energy enslaves her to the enemy cause, but there seems to be more adverse side effects to this - if the dark energy isn't dispersed quickly, in the long run it may actually even cause brain damage and destroy vital brain cells....and Usagi....Usagi doesn't have any that she can spare as it is!"  
  
-  
  
_They're jealous, aren't they? They're all jealous of me! They.....they don't mind me being stupid, but when I get a jot smarter......my own friends.....they turned on me! Its betrayal! A stab in the back! Its not fair!  
  
All I want is for Mamo-chan to like me. Can't they see that? Can't they see the only way to get him back is to be smart? Because.....because he wouldn't want me in any way.....I've seen it. He wants Ami, someone like her. That's what I'm giving him. What's their problem? He's not their boyfriend! They're not the one who needs him......I need him.....I want him.....I'll do anything for him....._

---------------

"AAAUUUUUGH!"

Mars jumped on the banister to dodge a chair being thrown at her. The chair shattered into several pieces. She then turned and kicked a student downstairs, which allowed the others to fall as well.

"Hurry, Rei-chan!" Mars jumped onto the stairs and ran up as the students recovered and began to swarm after her once more. "The enemy is probably on the next floor!"

-

"Syruuben." The red eyes flashed. "The sailor is escaping the students. She is approaching us."

"Dammit!" Calaveras glared. "Isn't there something else you can do?!"

"Sister!" Beruche put a hand on Calaveras' shoulder. "You shouldn't lose faith so quickly! We have _other_ ways of subduing trespassers. Or have you already forgotten....?"

-

As Mars ran, a small red light began to beep at the top of the stairs. A light near the end of the hall began to blink.

"Mars!" Luna pointed. "The enemy is at the end of the hall!"

"Right...."

Suddenly, Mars stopped. Her eyes slit.

"Rei-chan...?"

".....An energy...." Mars' hand went to her temple. ".....A.....strange energy...... I......Luna...."

Luna turned and gave a gasp. The light fixture at the end of the hall began to blink profusely.

"Rei-chan!" Luna leaped out of Mars' arms. "Rei-chan, its a trap!"

"........So tired.......suddenly......"

"REI-CHAN!"

"I.....can't........fight........"

Without another word, Mars collapsed into the arms of the students. Unceremoniously, they picked her up and began to carry her down the second floor hallway.

"Rei-chan! No!..."

Luna jumped up to attack the students, but was caught in mid-air. Despite her struggles, Luna found herself unable to break free, and she was brought off kicking and screaming.

"Bring them in here." Syruuben's eyes flashed. "We will teach her a lesson for interrupting class. Syruuben."

------------------------

__

Those bitches, those.....those horrible......

That's right. All they wish to do is see me fail. They all can do something and I can't. Ami-chan, a genius. Rei-chan, a priestess. Mako-chan, a fighter. Mina-chan, a singer. What am I? Nothing!

And then I become something. And they stop me. Ooh, how I want to.......to......

to........

tooooo..........

Oh.......my head...........Why do I feel so.......strange......

I........I what.......what's wrong with me.......I'm smart and then I.......

__

I

****

Syruuben.

-

Usagi's hand twitched. The monitor waves began to become more erratic, then straighten, then become unstable once more. Artemis watched it closely, with a worried eye.

-

__

Huh? What...

****

Syruuben. Come to me.

Who are you?

****

You. Syruuben.

You're....

****

Knowledge. Genius. Intelligence. Your Smart Part. Syruuben.

....You actually have a name?

****

Syruuben.

Thats an odd name for my smart part.

****

Names do not matter. You are mine.

No.....no I'm not.....

****

But you are. Now you are intelligence.

I am.....?.....I guess I am.

****

How do you feel?

Well, I....

****

Are you happy? Syruuben. Because you should be. You are better than all of your peers. And all you need to do to sustain it is be studious.

Studious?

****

You must come to the Learning Center. Syruuben.

....I'd love to....to become smarter, and to increase my knowledge, and to prove my friends wrong because they're acting mean. I want Mamo-chan back, to impress him.....I could be the smartest girl in the world.........

****

Of course you do. Syruuben. You wish for power. For truth. For the ultimate sacrifice.

.......but.....I'm incapacitated at the moment.....

****

To give me your energy.

I want to beco.....Waitaminute, did you just say-

****

Yes. For the ultimate sacrifice. Syruuben.

No no, after_ that._

****

Syruuben?

"To give me your energy."

****

....I didn't say that.

What? You most certainly did!

****

I didn't.

Yes you DID!

****

I did NOT.

You......you're hiding something from me, intelligent side.....I.......all of a sudden, I can feel it! You.....why.....why would you deny....?

****

SYRUUBEN.

-

If Artemis had been paying more attention to Usagi, he would have realized the incredible battle going on within her. She had stopped counting, and was staring at the ceiling; at first glance, she still seemed incapacitated by the energy.

Upon a further look, however, one noticed something unusual about her eyes. They seemed to respond to something, something not seen by others, yet seen by them. For they seemed to brighten somewhat with a strange kind of inner certainty.

-

__

The fog.....no..........

****

Yes. Forget. Syruuben. You are my slave.

("Today, we will be beginning our classes." )

__

What the...?  
  
A light. Engulfing. Then, a room.

(The female stood at the front of the classroom, her cherry-red lips curled into a smile. All around Usagi, many students from other schools. She wore a very simple coat and dress, and her black hair was in a bun.  
  
"Now, we here at Juuban Learning Center have a special oath we like to recite." The teacher put a hand on her chest. "I would be happy if everyone would please stand, and repeat it after me.")

**__**

Syruuben?

Wait a minute.....the classroom, I remember....  
**No, no, this isn't real!**

("I shall do my best to fulfill my desires." The class repeated after the teacher. "I shall do my best to study with vigor."

Usagi looked slightly bored, but did as she was told. The teacher looked at her, and smiled.)

__

Wait....

****

You are not looking! You must not look.....this is not real......this is a figment of yo-

STOP! Stop it! Why....

("You." Suddenly, the teacher stood up above Usagi. "Your name."

"U...." Usagi began to sweat. "Ts-t-su.....U......"

"Good enough." The smiled curled. "You have a desire for knowledge. I can see it in your eyes."

"Y-yeah...."

"Then look at me, and pay attention.")

**__**

NO! Syruuben. This is a trick, your mind is playing games on you. This NEVER happened!

(Usagi, with a quick glance, suddenly noticed something about the light. It had begun to flicker on and off, ever so slightly.)/i

-

Usagi's monitors began to fluctuate. Artemis looked over at Usagi, then back at the monitors.

"Usagi....." He began to sweat. "Hang on...."

-

("That...."

"You." The teacher's eyes slit. "Don't look."

Suddenly, a jolt of light flashed out, hitting Usagi in the side.

"OW!!!" Usagi fell out of her seat. "Ow.....that hurt.....")

**__**

Stop, stop! STOP!

NO! Make me!

("I told you not to look...."

The other students began to jump up in protest. As a response, the teacher's eyes flashed, and the doors and windows shut.

"AAH! aaaah! oh no whats going wevegottogetut...."

Things began to blur as the lights began to flash again. This time, dark bolts began to flash everywhere, hitting students.

"AAAAAH!!!" Usagi was hit by a large piece of black lightning. She fell to the floor. "Ma.....mo......chan......."

"Syruuben......")

......YOU.

(The Black Moon sign appeared on Usagi's forehead as she landed on the floor. All around her, students began to fall, even as they clawed desperately at the doors and windows.)

__

It was YOU!

("Now, class......" The teacher's shape began to waver and change. Her eyes turned red. "Let us....................._begin._")

**__**

....Usagi.......

Syruuben....you......you are the enemy!

****

No, NO! Don't fool yourself!

On her uniform, the locket began to pulse slightly. The red aura flickered around Usagi again, only to disappear.

__

No....you fooled me.......you played with me......Is…..is intelligence…….that its the only thing I care about? That's what you thought?! No, I care for Mamoru….  
  
Usagi suddenly twitched. On the monitor, everything jumped.   
  
"Huh?!" Artemis' head went up as the monitor beeped. "Usagi!?"   
  
_I care for……..I……….That's why I……but……_   
  
The waves on the monitors began to fluctuate wildly. Usagi's right hand began to move.

"Usagi!"  
_Maybe…..I was wrong…..  
**NO! SYRUUBEN! NO! You-**  
_Usagi. Really. Such an odango. But you're mine. Always.

__

....Mamo-chan.  
  
The right hand clenched.

**__**

SYRUUBEEEEEEEEEEEN!!

  
  
**FLAAAAAAAAAAAAAASH**  
  
Usagi's eyes opened, and her other hand went to her brooch. It opened up, and the crystal began to shine brilliantly. The light filled the room, and Artemis gave a gasp as the monitor flickered and shorted out.   
  
"Usagi!" Artemis jumped off the console. "The crystal....!!"

A black mist began to appear around the light. The sound of a howling wind blasted into Artemis' ears ad the black mist was first repelled, then dissipated, the black myst. An echo of a scream died out as the crystal's power faded.

".....Usagi?"

Artemis stared in shock. With a yawn, Usagi's eyes slowly dilated until they had returned to normal.

"....Uuuugh.........................." A small moan came from Usagi. "...............I want candy."


	5. Part D

"Well....here we are."

Jupiter, Venus and Mercury stood at the base of the stairs inside of the building. From upstairs, the sounds of screams and shouts could be heard.

"Let's hope that Mars isn't dead yet," Venus blushed.

"Well," The Jupiter Rod appeared. "Let's take their attention away from Rei-chan."

Lightning began to sizzle from the rod. It crackled down to Jupiter's hands as she stood towards the door.

"Sparkling Wide....Pressure!"

Ka-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

The lightning ripped off the door of the first classroom. It fell, and clattered to the floor with a loud bang which echoed through the hall.

"......Ow."

There was a silence at this. There was no sound made, even upstairs, for the shouts of the students had died out as soon as the door had finished hitting the floor.

"......Where are they?"

Several moments passed before Venus' question was answered. Soon, students began roaring down the stairs, screaming, Black Moon signs flashing and auras glowing. Some pushed and shoved one another, as if they were at market and the last shark meat was to be snatched up by one lucky buyer.

"KILL THE SENSHI!" The crowd roared. "KILL!!!"

"AAAUGH!"

Venus swerved left and right, looking for the other two soldiers as the students rushed at her. She gave a whiny screech.

"WHERE did you guys GO?!?"

"In here!"

With a grunt, Jupiter grabbed Venus by the hair and dragged her through the destroyed doorway. With a growl, the students all piled into the classroom, shouting and pushing each other for the opportunity to attack.

"Holy....!"

Venus rubbed her head as the three soldiers braced themselves in the back of the room. Near the front, the students began to come together into one single unit, facing the three soldiers with reddened eyes.

"Ow....."

"For knowledge!" One of them pointed. "Attack!"

"Ok....." Mercury's eyes glared. "Girls, on the count of three......."

The students attacked en masse. Their screams were loud enough to crowd out Mercury's command; however, Jupiter and Venus looked at Mercury for any other signal as the students jumped up and screeched one more battle cry, their demonesque teeth all bearing down on the soldiers.

"........**NOW**!!!!!!!!!!"

Venus and Jupiter nodded. Mercury went first, bending down, and going head first under the crowd as gravity began to bring them back to the floor. Venus then followed suit, throwing herself under a desk as best as she could, dodging the students as she did. Jupiter, last, slid under the students on the floor, her bottom scraping the tiles and bruising as she did. As she freed herself from the bloodthirsty crowd, she gave one boy a good, hard kick in his pants.

"AWWK!"

"There." Jupiter stood up. "He looked like Nichogi-san."

"Ow....!!" Venus hit her head on a desk. "Dammit..."

"Mercury!" Jupiter shouted. "Hurry, before they get up!"

Mercury stood up straight and held her hands to her chest. The group had been so bent on the soldiers that they all piled on each other to get them. In the soldiers' dodging them, however, the students had turned into a giant mess of uniforms hair and shoes.

"Shine Aqua.....Illusion!"

The blast hit all of the students head on. The giant mound iced up, and solidified into a giant ice cube. Various frozen hands and feet stuck out of it like a Cubist statue.

"YES!" Jupiter gave Mercury a hug. "It worked!"

"Oh, thank you...." Mercury blushed.

"Good! Now..." Venus turned around. "Now that they're out of the way, let's go and-"

"Save your friend?"

The three girls turned around. Standing at the head of the classroom was Calaveras and Beruche, smiling. With them was a brown-haired teacher with cherry-red lips, who held a struggling Sailor Mars and an unconscious Luna by their necks.

"_Syruuben._" The cherry lips gave a sharp, toothy grin "Welcome, sailor soldiers."

"Looks like you're cornered." Calaveras nodded to Syruuben. "Go ahead, show them your true form."

"_Syruuben!_"

Above her, the light fixture flashed, and the teacher was engulfed in a red aura. Her form shofted and changed, and her eyes became blood red.

"Let...." Mars gasped. ".......me.....go!!!"

"Well, sailor soldiers..." Beruche chuckled menacingly. "It looks like you've met your match now. Droid, introduce yourself!"

A whistle came from the shifting form as the red aura disappeared. The droid, a pale feminine one, stood about six feet tall. She was somewhat stout, and had large breasts which hung out of a yellow tuxedo top and a white ruffled tuxedo shirt. Her bottom consisted of a large, pink tutu and ballerina slippers. Her brown hair, now orange, was slicked up to one side. On her collar was a pola-dot tie, which was held up by a Black Moon gem.

"What the-"

"LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADIES and GEEEEEEEEEENTLEMEEEEEN!!" The droid spoke again, this time with a raspy voice. "WEEEELCOME to TRIIIIVIA HEEEEEEELLL! Starring Syruuuuuuuuuuuben, your HOOOOOOOOST!!!"

"Eww...."  
  
Venus sweat as the droid put sunglasses on. It grinned evilly at the soldiers.

"SYRRUUUUBEEEEN!" The droid turned to the two sisters. "Don't worry, sister-buns! I'll be AAAAAAAA-OKKKKKKKKKKKKKKAAAAAAAAAAY with them!!!"

"Uh....." Calaveras began to sweat. "Um.......sister....."

"Oh, why...." Beruche began t sweat even more. "Y-yes, ok......damn, you are very feisty in thi-this form....!"

"Of COOOOOOOURSE!!!!" Throwing Mars and Luna aside, Syruuben posed, showing her polka-dot underwear in the process by accident. Feces marks dotted the panties as well. "I'm the smartest girl in the UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNIverse! SyruuBEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN!"

"Yuck!" Venus gagged. "Those are SOILED!"

"Oh....oh dear...." Mercury covered her eyes.

"......Right...." Beruche turned to Calaveras. "This.....is awkward, elder sister."

"You have _no_ need to tell me that." Calaveras gulped. "Man, she is ugl-"

"Let us leave!" Hastily, Beruche grabbed Calaveras' hand. "And so we......ahem.....leave our.....combined creation to you! Destroy them, Syruuben!"

With that, the two sisters disappeared, laughing nervously as they did. Syruuben turned to the soldiers and gave a smile. Mars meanwhile, slowly stood up and walked over to the others, glaring at them as she did.

"Ugh!" Mars growled. "You took your sweet time, friends. That......_thing_ smells like piss!"

"Sorry!" The three girls turned red. "We had to get Usagi-chan away from here."

".....Usagi-chan?"

"Yeah." Mercury looked up. "She got possessed too. Artemis has her hooked up."

"....Right." Mars' head went down. "I understand."

"So we'd better get rid of this creature quickly!"

"SYRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUBEN!!!!"

The creature gave a stomp, followed by a growl. The four soldiers turned to look at the monster with expressions of disgust on their faces.

"Bluh...."

"SOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" the droid's voice boomed. "You will challenge MEEEEEEE!!!!!"

"Uh...." Jupiter wiped her nose. "I guess.......I guess so......"

"OooooooooooooKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKAY!!!!" The monster posed. "Lets begin THE CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLENNNNNNGE!!!!"

The lights flashed above them, and the soldiers found themselves standing inside booths. On each of them was a microphone, and a timer, and all four were tied up. The classroom had changed as well; it looked more like a flashy soundstage for a game than what it truly was.

"Wha?!?" The soldiers looked around, confused. "What's going on?!?"

"How the...." Jupiter struggled. "How the hell did we get tied up?!?"

"Its TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIME," Syruuben reappeared in a spotlight with a microphone. "Foooooooooooooor the QUESTIOOOOOOOOOONS! Let's starts with our first contestant, **SAAAAAAAILOR MAAAAAAAARS**!!!!"

With that, the droid snapped her fingers, causing a radio to appear. She pressed play, and the sounds of canned cheering came from the speakers.

"This thing is insane...." Venus sweat. "Really.......really, really insane...."

"QUESTION!!!" The droid brought up a card. "Name the mathematical genius who published almost 400 books on the subject in his lifetime ALOOOONE!"

"..................................uh......" There was a silence. "...........................Newton?"

"**WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**" Syruuben sneered. "HAHAHA! Where'd you learn THAT? That's like saying da Vinci invented the car!! Looks like you're gone, hon! BYEEE!!!"

With a gasp, Mars' booth flashed, and the booth - and Mars - disappeared.

"EEEEEEEEEK!" Venus screeched. "Oh no, I'm next!"

"NEEEEEXT! Our next contestant, **SAILOOOOOOOOR VENUUUUUUUUUS**!!!! Syruuben!!!!!!" Another canned cheer. "Wheeeeeeeeere was the Battle of Britain fought???"

".....What?" Venus looked confused. "What kind of question is that?"

"**WROOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG!**"

"WHAT?!? But I didn't eve-"

Venus disappeared with a flash, her sentence left unfinished. Jupiter looked at Mercury warily; she was next.

"Hooooo boy."

"QUESTION!!!!!!!!" More cheers. "WHOOOOOOOOOO holds the record for MOST home runs IN ONE SEEEEEESAON in the American baseball leagues!?!"

".....Hey, that's an easy one!" A smile came across Jupiter's face. "Barry Bonds, of course!"

"WR.......Right. Syruuben."

Suddenly, Jupiter's booth flashed. She, too disappeared.

"What the...." Mercury gasped and turned towards the droid. "But....she got the question right!"

"Yes, she diiiid!" Syruuben giggled. "Which meeeeeeans she must be PUNISHED! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! SYRUUUUUUUUBEN!!!!!!!"

Mercury began to sweat profusely. She began to struggle violently against her bonds, almost to the point where she began to bleed. However, it was of no use. She gave the droid a glare.

".......Cheater!"

"HA!" Syruuben jumped up and down, her breasts falling out of the tuxedo. "Its my game. Syruuben. And I'm the smartest girl in the world, so it doesn't matter what peons think. And you're a peon."

"You...."

"Stop right there!!"

Mercury's head came up. Her eyes bolted towards the door. In a flash, the game show turned back into a classroom.

"Your friends."

"Mako-chan. Ami-chan. Rei-chan. Mina-chan. I did all of that to them."

"Rectify it! Go and stop the droid!"

"......Right!"

"Huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh?" The droid turned around. She blinked, then gave a start. "Wh-wh-wha?!?"

"Hmph."

Sailor Moon returned the stuttering droid's shock with a glare. She stood in the doorway, her hands on her hips.

"Sa.......Usagi-chan......." Mercury's eyes began to water up. "Can it be....?"

Sailor Moon looked over at Mercury. As their eyes met, she gave the blue-haired sailor a small, sad smile.

"I......." Sailor Moon looked back at the droid. "I....hurt people because of you. But no more. For love and justice - though not the smartest of them all - the pretty soldier Sailor Moon! In the name of the moon, you're punished!"

"Syruuben......"

Syruuben took several steps back. With a deep breath, she closed her eyes, and with a flash disappeared.

"Eh?" Sailor Moon's eyes widened. "Wha-"

"USAGI-CHAN!"

Sailor Moon turned around to face Mercury. Her eyes met Mercury's once more, just as her booth disappeared in a brief flash of light.

"Ami-chan!!"

"_Heheheheheheh....._"

"Y-you....!!!!"

Sailor Moon dropped to her knees. She pounded the ground and gave a moan.

"Aaaugh! Too late!" Her eyes began to fill with tears. "I got here too late...."

"_Heheheheheh_." The voice of the droid cackled in the air in response. "_You don't care about knowledge anymore? You want to save your friends instead, Tsukino-san_?"

"Huh?"

"_I know your identity. Syruuben_." The classroom began to darken. "_You're the dense girl. I'd know you from anywhere. That's how smaaaaaart I am!!!_"

"_Dense?!_" Sailor Moon clenched her teeth. "Why you...!"

Sailor Moon was cut short by the sound of the howling wind. The classroom had disappeared once more, to be replaces by a dark, unending vortex.

"Wh-what the-?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?" Sailor Moon's head flew about. "Where am I _now_?!?"

"_Listen well, Sailor Moon_," The raspy voice of Syruuben suddenly echoed through the void. "_For lives may very well depend on your answer to….the riddle_."   
"R-riddles?" Sailor Moon began to sweat. "I hate riddles!"   
"_If you answer correctly, I'll let you and your friends go._" The monster's voice gave a chuckle. "_Syruuben. Faaaaaaail….._"   
"Ok, ok! I know what happens if I fail," Sailor Moon squeaked. "Just tell me the damn riddle already!"   
"_Then listen, and listen well!_" The voice crackled through the air. "_This riddle WILL NOT BE REPEATED!_"   
  
Suddenly, a light flashed, blinding the soldier. With a screech, Sailor Moon covered her eyes, only to find a soft garment covering them for her.   
  
"Huh…?" She felt around. "A…blindfold?!"   
"_Ah ah ah, Sailor Moon!_"   
  
As Sailor Moon felt near the back, a jolt surged through her hand. She gave a yelp and jumped back.   
  
"Wh-what's all this?!"   
_"Listen well, for you will not hear this again._" Sailor Moon could feel dark energy swirl around her. "_Your friends' lives are now in your hands, for only you can answer this riddle. And only you can decide your friends' fates. Heheh…_"   
  
As if on an unseen command, Sailor Moon's hands flew up, as if to accept something. In response, she felt the cold steel of a gun slip into her grip.   
  
"_Here is the riddle._"   
  
In front of Sailor Moon, though she could not see, was a field of sand with a brick wall in it. The heads of the four sailors - one on one side of the wall, the other three on the other side, each facing the wall - barely stuck out from the surface, All four were gagged.   
  
"Mmmmph! MPPPH!!"   
"Sai….sailors?!" Sailor Moon went to step forward. "Guys-!"   
"_Stop!_" Instead of going forward, the soldier was stopped by a force field. "_You can't go further. Listen to my riddle or else!_"   
"…Meh…." Sailor Moon nervously felt the gun. "O-o-k-k…"   
"_Good girl_." There came another chuckle. "_Now then. Syruuben. Let us do role playing. You are a sadistic torturer who has buried these four helpless girls up to their necks in sand._"   
"What?!" Sailor Moon went to take the blindfold off. "I'm not a sadi-AACK!"   
"_Shut up, stop struggling and PAAAAAAAAAY ATTENTION!!!!!_" The demon laughed as Sailor Moon was zapped again. "_You have issued a challenge to these girls involving _the _hats you have forced them to wear. Two black, two white._"   
  
On cue, four dunce caps - two black, two white - appeared on each of the soldiers' heads. The soldiers again struggled to no avail.

"_You have given them ten minutes to figure out who is wearing what hat. But, only one person can shout their color out, and only one of them can figure out which hat they wear._" A clock began to tick in Sailor Moon's mind. "_You must figure it out. Which of your four friends knows what color hat they are wearing? If you are right, I'll leeeeeeeet you go. But if you're wroooooooooong....._"

Sailor Moon's blood chilled as her hands, beyond her command, took up the gun and clicked the chamber open. Another chuckle came from the droid.

"_RemEEEEEEEEEEMBEEEEER!!!_" The droid's voice disappeared. "_Ten_ _miiiiinutes! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!_"

At this, the blindfold was taken off of Sailor Moon's eyes, and she saw everything clearly. Mercury was the lone figure on the left side of the wall, and the other three faced the wall on the other side. All were gagged, and it was apparent to Sailor Moon that none of them could move.

"O......ok...." Sailor Moon gulped. "Ok, who would know.............Damnit, this clock in my head is....annoying....."

For a good several minutes, the girl's mind raced. She could not figure it out. Whether it was her dense mind, or her fear, or her own reluctance, she was not sure. The time ticked by, and her mind painfully registered each passing second as a countdown to destruction. Her mind even made out a diagram of what was in front of her:

oooo

Ami - -Minako-Rei-Makoto

Yet for almost nine minutes, her mind could not figure it out. Her mind kept slipping:

Makoto Rei Jupiter jnj jnj nj nj an an and clan land.....ugh......ftf......What the f.......wth.........hit hit stop STOP STOP!!! Come on.........think, THINK. Sailor Moon looked nervously from one soldier to the next. _Who, who is it? You're not smart anymore, but your life depends on it. Their lives depend on it. Come on......come on......._

Then, as the clock wound down, it finally hit her. Somehow, in the fogginess of her unintelligent mind, the truth came to her.

"OOOOOH!" She pointed. "Mako-chan!"

Jupiter was the furthest to the right, wearing a black cap. She faced Venus and Mars, both with their respective hats.

"Well, I mean, if they're all facing the same direction....Mako-chan can see the other two, and she can figure out what kind of hat she's wearing, right?" The gin began to raise. "I mean....I'm right, right? Say something!"

"......_Syruuben...._"

Sailor Moon felt her hands tremble as the gun was brought up to her waits. Then, without any prompting on her part, the gun was suddenly cocked and aimed. 

"No.....NO!!!!" Sailor Moon screamed. "I.......I was _wrong_?!?"

"_SYRUUBEN!_"

"No......"

"_........No, you were right._" The voice cackled. "_But I changed my mind. I want to kill you anyways. Syruuben! Nobody beats my knowledge and gets away with it!_"

"Wait......I was......"

Sailor Moon's eyes widened in shock as her fingers began to press on the trigger. It was aimed at Mercury, who struggled still to no avail.

I...... Sailor Moon shut her eyes. _I got it right_.

Ka-**CHIIIIIIING **

"H....."

Suddenly, A scream came from the droid, and the sound of shattering class filled Sailor Moon's ears. She slowly opened her eyes.

"......What?"

The gun was gone. The soldiers were one the floor, moaning.

"AAAAAAAAAAUGH!!!!!!!!"

The droid writhed in pain. Above her, the light, her power source, was shattered. In what remained of it, a red rose.

"Intelligence is the beauty of the beholder."

Sailor Moon turned. He was there, in the doorway, his cane pointed at the youma.

"But even the dullest-looking of minds holds beauty, for in its lustre is a wisdom not seen."

Sailor Moon gave a gasp. In response, Tuxedo Mask gave a slow, slow nod, and then turned around.

"Good bye."

"Wait...!"

Sailor Moon took a step forward. Her mind was filled with things to say, with what she always wanted to say about him. She wanted to talk to him once more. Yet he was gone before her mouth could even open again.

Mamo-chan....

"OWowowowowowowowEEEEEEEE!!!!"

Sailor Moon turned back towards the droid. The poor droid was black from the energy expenditure, and her sunglasses had fallen to the floor. She gave several whimpers.

"How....Syruuben...." she sniffed. "I'm smarter than you and.....you......you beeeeeeeeeat MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

With that, the droid, to Sailor Moon's shock, began to wail violently. Soon, there was an inch of tear water on the floor.

"What the...."

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!" The stench of Syruuben's bad breath began to fill the room. "I CAN'T DO ANNNNNNNNNYTHIIIIIIIIING RIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!!! BOOOOOOHOOOOOO!!! I wanna EAAAAT ICE CREAM AND DROWN MY FEARS AND SORRRRRRRRROOOOOOOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The next thing Sailor Moon knew, the droid was pulling on her skirt, blowing her nose. She slapped her head.

"AUUUUUGH!" She made a face. "Geez!"

"Syrrrrrrrrrrrruuuuuuben!!!!!" The droid whined. "Kill me!! KILL ME! PUT ME OUT OF MY MIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISERY!!!!!!! I'M A FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAILURE!!!"

The other four soldiers looked on in total confusion as the droid wiped its nose on Sailor Moon. Mars, of course, couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.

"K-kill you?" Sailor Moon sweat. "You _want_ me to....well, this is a first...."

"PLEEEEEEEEEEEASE!!!!!!" Sailor Moon had to cover her ears at the screeching. "Syruuben! I'll do anything to make you kill me!! Do you hear me?! _Anything_!!!"

"Don't worry," Venus mumbled. "You don't need any help with us...."

"Uh....."

"J-just tell me what I can do to convince you to KILL ME!!" The droid began to pull at Sailor Moon again. "If you don't, I'll go CRAZY and rip this school apart in utter desperation!!!!!"

The soldiers looked at one another. Then, they looked back on the droid. Indeed, she was the oddest droid - thing - they had ever chanced on in battle.

"Um...." Suddenly, everyone looked at Sailor Moon. "I...I know what you can do....."


	6. Ice Cream!

"Moon Princess......HALATION!!!"

The droid gave a screech of final agony as her body turned to ash. Her pink tuxedo was nothing, her tutu and slippers gone. All that soon remained was a pile of dust, a blackened gem, and a pair of broken sunglasses.

"WELL!" Sailor Moon beamed. "I think we got a good thing from the deal!"

The night sky shone down on the five soldiers as they transformed back into their civilian forms. The new moon had begun to wax, and so that night a bright sliver of silver could be seen in the heavens.

"'Good thing' is an understatement." Minako's hair was done up in braids. "Man, that monster had such low self-esteem. I had no idea."

"She was so willing to die, too!" Ami looked puzzled. In her hand was Usagi's school bag. "She was willing to do...._anything_."

"Mmmmmm." Usagi was licking a cone. "Super-sized chocolate-dipped twist cone!"

Indeed, the droid, for several hours, had become the soldiers' slaves. In that time, she had helped pick up the school, drive every single infected kid back home to their parents (with complete assurance that they should remember nothing of their ordeal), brought Luna home, tucked Chibi-Usa into bed, done Minako's hair, cleaned Rei's temple, did Usagi's homework, bought Ami new books, ordered out for pizza (as it is brain food), bought some manga, kissed toads, streaked naked across a highway, got affordable healthcare for American seniors and attended a Greenpeace rally. To end the night, the droid, before leaving, bought everyone the ice cream of their choice. She didn't seem to mind; in fact, it was apparent that the droid didn't care. To compensate, Sailor Moon bought the droid the a large ice cream cone, which the droid ate before she was vanquished.

"But truly," Ami looked down. "Did we _really_ have to have her do all of that? Wouldn't just getting the ice cream have been simple enough?"

"Ami-chan!" Minako poked Ami. "You ilk something for its girth!"

"....Wha?"

"You know! The old saying...."

"I don't think that's it," Makoto began to sweat. "And besides, I don't think we're going to get lucky like _that_ with a monster again anytime soon, anyways."

"Hmm!" Usagi swallowed the last of her cone. "Either way, I think I did a good job with the droid! That was smart of me to do that! Now my homework's finished and my tummy's full!"

"Oh, what a shock," Rei replied sarcastically. "Usagi couldn't do her homework."

"What was that?!?" Usagi turned to Rei. "You know, this morning I could have whipped you and the entire school district into shape with what I knew!"

"Bah, that was _this morning_. Just get over it, Usagi." Rei glared. "You're not smart at all, ok? You're just back to your simple self."

"What do you mean, I'm not smart AT ALL? I got the droid to do stuff for us!" Usagi glared. "And _how_ am I simple?!"   
"Usagi," Rei stuck her tongue out. "Let's just say ten to one you're one of the people who end up going to the supermarket just to watch the automatic waterers in the produce section."

This, of course, began a large fight between Usagi and Rei. The other three slowly began to back off and watched embarrassingly as Usagi and Rei's fight began to draw spectators in.

"What childishness..."

"Oh, they're sticking their tongues out!"

".....Come on, girls." The three walked off. "Let's go."

"Go what?

"....Let's go study."

THE END


End file.
